Interior rearview mirror manufacturers typically manufacture and/or purchase various components and assemble the components together to make the mirror assembly. It is often desirable to include accessories, such as a microphone or microphone module or the like, into the mirror assembly. The mirror manufacturers thus may manufacture some components of the mirror assembly, such as the bezel, housing, support or the like, and purchase the accessory or accessories from a supplier. The mirror manufacturers may also purchase or make some of the mirror components, such as an electrochromic reflective element assembly or cell with a printed circuit board mounted on the back of the cell (i.e., an electrochromic mirror kit). The components and accessories are then typically assembled by the mirror manufacturer to complete the mirror assembly in a complete mirror assembly operation. Typically, the electrochromic kit or the like is positioned at least partially in a bezel, which is then attached to the casing of the mirror assembly. However, it is often difficult to assemble the accessory to the mirror assembly.
It is also known to provide a microphone or microphones in an entity that is positioned in or adjacent to an interior rearview mirror assembly, such as in or at the interior rearview mirror assembly itself or at an accessory module or the like at or around the interior rearview mirror assembly. The microphone or microphones is/are operable to receive sound signals, such as for a telecommunications system or the like. Examples of such microphones and associated sound acquisition systems are disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,243,003; 6,278,377; and 6,420,975, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. The microphone or microphones may be positioned in the interior rearview mirror assembly casing or housing or at or in an accessory module or attachment or the like positioned at or near the interior rearview mirror assembly. Such a location is typically preferred to enhance the effectiveness of the microphone or microphones, since that is typically where a driver may look when speaking.
However, in many vehicles, it is desirable to have a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system which is selectively operable to blow air forcefully onto the inner surface of the windshield to defrost or defog the windshield. Such intense air blowing onto the windshield, and thus generally toward the interior rearview mirror assembly, may lead to undesired deterioration of the signal to noise ratio of the microphone or microphones positioned at or around the interior rearview mirror assembly. Systems have been proposed to provide an improved signal to noise ratio, such as described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,243,003; 6,278,377; and 6,420,975, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. However, it is typically desirable to further enhance the performance of the microphone system to further reduce the effects of the blower noise on the microphone signal, without adversely affecting the position of the microphone.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a microphone or accessory which is positionable in, at or adjacent to an interior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle or in or at a windshield electronic module or accessory module of a vehicle, and which overcomes the above disadvantages and shortcomings of the prior art.